"Franking" is the act of placing (writing or printing) a message across the face of a check. In today's check processing environment, "franking a check" usually refers to printing "ELECTRONICALLY PRESENTED" across the front of the original check when the check is scanned by equipment designed to convert the check to an electronic image for further processing. The franking is designed to indicate that the paper check is now voided and should not be deposited in physical form.
The business that scans the check to create the electronic image then transmits the check image to the banking system, where it can be electronically handled more efficiently than the paper check. Often, the image makes it all the way to the bank on which the check is drawn, and the check writer's account is charged without the physical check ever leaving the business where it was initially received. Other times, the electronic image is reconverted to what is legally called a "substitute check" for processing just as the original check would have been processed. As more and more banks are gearing up for processing both paper and image checks, fewer and fewer electronic check images are being reconverted into substitute check form. The ELECTRONICALLY PRESENTED franking message is designed to prevent the same payment instructions from being presented more than once.
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"Franking" is the act of placing (writing or printing) a message across the face of a check. In today's check processing environment, "franking a check" usually refers to printing "ELECTRONICALLY PRESENTED" across the front of the original check when the check is scanned by equipment designed to convert the check to an electronic image for further processing. The franking is designed to indicate that the paper check is now voided and should not be deposited in physical form.